The Inner Struggle
by Todd McCloud
Summary: Selvala, now eighty years old yet unaltered by the sands of time due to her unfortunate accident sixty years ago, faces a ner adversary: Andross. Will she be able to quell his power? And what is meant by a new bioweapon?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"The Kral Commodore of Uno approaches!"

From within the great gathering room came a most fervent round of applause. Thousands of delegates from across the galaxy rose from their seats in anticipation of the final proponent of a notion no one had witnessed in a long time: peace. Peace for the entire galaxy, not just the regions of the Lovelevo System so familiar to her people, the Unonians, the main opponents in the "war" for "tranquility."

"Do you foresee any other option, m'lady?"

Flanked by two vulpine guards as they continued to walk down a long hallway, the kral commodore shook her head defiantly at the fox on her left. Her armored red, white, and black dress was a sharp contrast to her blue fur and long, dark blue hair. She blinked her large eyes. "We all know there are two groups gathering an alliance within our galaxy: those who have sided with us, and those who have pledged their support to the Venomanian cause."

"But the Venomanians," a Yang-Tzusian remarked, his small muzzle effortlessly forming syllables, "they seem so… terrifying. Ape-like. The lesser of the homo sapiens we've come to familiarize with." He paused as his large triangular ears moved backward. "Their gene structure is imbalanced. It's as if the Almighty lost the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, then sketched in the rest."

"God doesn't play games," the vixen snapped.

"Of course, m'lady," the Yang-Tzusian replied. "Forgive me. I'm just concerned. Remember, our race is only getting used to these emotions… so unpredictable they are."

"Let me put it this way," she began as she rested her blue-furred arm on the shoulder of the furless, white-skinned creature, "I'm nearly eighty three years old. Yet I appear as if I'm a vixen of twenty. I've buried two husbands, traveled from one edge of this galaxy to the other, and fought nearly every creature ever known – from the enormous and the ungodly to the microscopic." She paused. "Your race is superior in intelligence. But for once, have faith in something!"

"I concur," the Yang-Tzusian muttered.

As the party walked on, the sounds of applause grew louder and louder. The vixen's strides increased in anticipation, though her face managed to mask any sign of excitement. When she reached the great gathering room, she nearly gasped. The circular space grew as her gaze lifted, forming the seats of the most important delegates from across the galaxy, with the ones situated closer to the center the most important. Remembering her skirmishes with the Careinians, she smiled once she spotted their place high above the others, far in the background. _Vassal States to the Unonians ought to have their desks moved outside of the confines, _she thought with a slight laugh.

The masses erupted into cheers and shouts once she stepped up to the main platform, situated directly in the center of the great gathering room. _Perhaps from the Careinian's perspective the galaxy trickles down directly to us._

"Selvala McEvo, the Kral Commodore of Uno and Grand Marshallese of the Union of Free States! Accompanying m'lady is the Ler Commodore of Uno, Vevano McElso and the Chief Intelligence Operative of Yang-Tzu, Isos-5432!"

Roars of appreciation poured from the expansive chamber like water filling the small basin where she stood. The Grand Master, the person who would replace her if ever she was killed, stood and joined the congregation as well. Finally, she gave a quick smile as she gently moved her metal hand in appreciation.

"Thank you, thank you," the thin vixen bubbled. "I've fought longer than most of your lives for a moment such as this. When I was a little girl, I wanted to free my people. When I was betrayed by a horrible man, I realized my goals should extend to those who suffer everywhere, not just Unonians." She paused. "I changed that day. Changed to the point where I believe I truly morphed from a hotheaded vixen to a tried and true leader. A vixen capable of stifling hatred and annihilating oppression. Long battles and fierce resistance ensured, but through all the terror and hardships have emerged this day – a day where our enemies shall finally sit at our table and eat the scraps they deserve instead of the meals they've stolen."

Isos stepped forward. "A bio-weapon, approved by the Unonian king, is also underway in case they fall back on their word."

Although alarmed at the report, the kral commodore decided not to question the ulterior counter. "Twenty years I lived imprisoned by my own will. But my true freedom shall come when this entire galaxy is wrapped in love and enveloped in utter concern for each other. We shall refer to everyone as brother and sister. That's not to say justice will be withheld where it is deemed necessary, however."

"Ah, excellent speech, McEvo."

Everyone turned to view a massive specimen entering from the main hallway. His plated armor was crude yet effective – it covered his muscular frame, though his cape further padded his body. A thick, white beard extended from his puffy lips, which grinned comically.

"Emperor Andross," Selvala addressed without a hint of alarm as Venomanian soldiers followed behind their leader. "I take it you wish to sign this peace accord personally? And in front of the delegation? Such a bold effort, my contemporary. Bold effort indeed."

"Enough talk!" the ape barked. "_I_ will restore peace! Your people can't win! Not against my might!"

With a smirk, Selvala sashayed over to the burly ape despite the protests of the two men on her left and right. "You don't scare me. I've fought better men before you were even at your mother's tit! Just ask our oldest vassal state – Pryok! People still whisper about our last battle with those Careinians like it is something brought about by the Almighty himself! We obliterated evil! And you dare encroach on _me_? Right _now_? With the size of the amount of forces I control? Perhaps you are as twisted as you advertise."

"You were a bitch then, you're even more of a bitch now."

Suddenly, Selvala drew a gun from a holster against her dress. As it cocked, it was greeted by the sights of at least one hundred other guns readying for fire. "If I have to be killed to ensure peace, then so be it. You _don't_ scare me."

Emperor Andross chuckled as the delegation began to flee from the room. "Poor little girl. You think one little shot is going to kill me? Fox McCloud was as good of a fighter as you – and even _he _couldn't kill me!"

Selvala dropped her jaw. "Fox? Fox McCloud?"

"Your supposed Unonian hero. Some hero! And who is this Bronson McRasko I've heard of, the man who is supposedly the vilest creature to walk in this galaxy? Do you think I measure up to him?"

"If it's a war you want, you won't find it in me. I am the voice of the people I promised to protect. Say what you want, but you won't touch them so long as I am alive!"

"Is that so?" the emperor muttered, stroking his beard. "Then what other choice do you leave me?" He grinned. "Goodbye, Selvala."

As he was about to fire off his gun, Selvala drilled five shots into his chest. To her amazement, they seemed to bounce off him like rubber. When she moved her arms closer to her body, her ears bent back as she glanced up at the Careinian sitting high in the background of the great gathering room. His head seemed to be nodding.

"I… will _never_ allow my people to bow to you, Andross."

He chuckled. "Down girl!" As a shot rang out in the large room, the thin vixen collapsed to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Death. Such an unknown journey. An unknown journey full of… fear and… uncertainty. The weak become strong, and the strong… well, they like the wisps of a wintry gust – uncomfortable, yet not harmful. No, wait. Impossible. We are all the same now. Or in the same position, like some great assembly line. That is, until, the soul is claimed by the light or the dark. But what is beyond the light and the dark? What's just beyond that curtain? Why can't I see it?"

"Wake up, m'lady."

Selvala opened her large, blue eyes as the soft blurs slowly crystallized to view the faces of Yang-Tzusians gazing down at her. Their large, black eyes caused her to cower in fear, but she couldn't understand why. _So dark. But it's not like I've forgotten their looks._

"Do you remember us, m'lady?" One of the Yang-Tzusians asked. "We saved your life almost sixty years ago. But now we have taken the initiative and preceded one step further. We brought you back to life."

Groaning, Selvala put a hand to her forehead – her real hand, the one she had managed to keep from harm all her years. Perhaps it was the chill from the hard bed she laid on, but her extremities began to tingle. She noticed a collection of tubes and machinery around her, but aside from that, there seemed to be no cause for distress. "I've been… dead?"

The Yang-Tzusian shook his head. "Only approximately two point five hours. Certainly not a precarious case, but we still kept our wits and dexterity about us."

"I have such a headache." With her eyes now squinted, she began to scan the area around her, avoiding the bright lights that dowsed the area in luminescence. Nothing truly caused her to be alarmed – even the tubing connecting her seemed normal. Memories from her stay at Yang-Tzu echoed within her mind, but she knew better. She was probably still on Illevethruu, the capital planet of the Union. Yet the room was strikingly familiar. Bright lights, highly polished white walls and ceilings, sophisticated tools placed neatly in their respective places all seemed too familiar. However, something was different – a large window to her right, which looked to portray a long wooden box.

She sat up from the hard table at a deliberate pace and stretched her limbs like she was afraid they'd fall off. "What is that?"

"The bio-weapon, m'lady."

Turning to her right, she spotted Isos. "What?"

He smiled. Even though emotions were no longer outlawed in the Yang-Tzusian race, she always was surprised to see a change in his façade. "Have faith, m'lady. Though I am able to experience fear, I do not. This weapon will destroy any opposition we encounter once it becomes operational. And it is not a question of _if_ it shall work, but _when_ and how fast the task will be completed."

Arching an eyebrow, Selvala slowly moved off the table. As she stepped up to the window, Isos followed her in case she fell. She was wobbly at first, but quickly began to accommodate to the drastic events of the day.

"With your word, we shall begin the process to revive him."

"_Revive_?"

"Yes. Again I ask for your trust, m'lady. It is a rather complicated process, but it can be completed rather quickly."

She paused. "Who or what is inside that box?"

Smiling once more, he punched in a few glowing red buttons on a side panel. "You may examine him personally if you wish." Suddenly, a portion of the wall darkened, almost as if a light within it had burned out. It then moved backward slightly and lifted into the ceiling.

Confused yet stern, Selvala followed the Yang-Tzusian into the small room flooded by light pouring in from above. Machines she had never seen before occupied the back corner, out of the range of the window she stood at earlier. However, the most intriguing facet of the room still remained the long wooden box. Inscriptions and carved vines decorated the facades, but they were too worn or too rotten to really make out what purpose they served.

"It's very cold in here," Selvala remarked. She gripped her sides, noticing her thin medical garment probably added to her discomfort. _I'm used to twenty extra pounds of armor anyway._

Three other Yang-Tzusians suddenly joined them, moving into the small quarters without a single sound. Together, the four frail creatures stood at a corner of the box then, with a fluid motion, lifted the lid and placed it aside.

Selvala's lower lip quivered in fear. In the container was a frail young fox, whose dark clothes still hung on his body and a white marbled mask still held onto his face. Even his hair, black and parted down the center, looked just the way it did in the history books and storybooks she read years and years ago when she was a kit of no more than seven. "Todd McEdek? His body… never decomposed?"

"It's because of the mask," Isos informed. He placed his hand on it, then quickly forced it backwards. "When he died, this was placed on his face in order to destroy the evil power within it. Its dormancy prevented his body from decomposing, which is why he is totally intact."

Stepping back, Selvala shook her head in disbelief. "And you want to bring him back to life? With that power infecting his body? Don't you realize how much pain he'll experience? Will it even be him after all?"

Isos held up a long white hand while shutting his eyes. "Your questions are quite intelligent, m'lady, but all will be answered in due time. Trust me. I would never instigate this process unless I knew it was perfectly safe."

As the last few syllables rolled off the creature's tongue, the remainder of the Yang-Tzusians donned gloves of a silvery color and reached for the mask on Todd's face. Immediately the face began to glow brighter and brighter, until a large gust of air seemed to draw inward toward it like a final breath. With gentle fingers, they removed the mask, revealing the vulpine male's face.

"Is it… safe?" Selvala trembled.

Isos nodded. "The force within the marble is dead and has been for quite some time. It's as harmless as a toy."

Selvala watched as the Yang-Tzusians moved frantically, putting a tube down Todd's throat, then hooking his arms to receptors and various fluids placed strategically across the small room. They seemed to be falling behind schedule. One male nearly crashed into a machine on a cart, but it was quickly moved out of the way by Isos. Loud beeps and buzzes soon accompanied them, along with the stinging sounds of charging electricity. A sudden zap sent the dead man's body arching upward, then crashing back down into the box. More electrodes were placed across his arms. One carefully listened to his heart throughout the excitement.

"Vital signs… non-existent." The one listening to his heart looked up. "The window has been lost."

Selvala noticed Isos turn away in anger. "What window?" she asked.

Isos sighed, then jerked his head to vent his frustration. "I'll be deemed obsolete for this. We missed the opportunity to revive him. Now he's truly forever dead. Eternally resting without any escape."

"But you just revived _me _only a few minutes ago!" She scoffed. "And you're done with him?"

"We tried, m'lady. We truly tried. But any hope for a bio-weapon is now lost." He sighed. "Ler Commodore McElso will brief you on the tactical backup plan as soon as possible. I'm terribly sorry. Please follow me, m'lady."

She turned to Isos, then to the dead body. "No. He will come here. I wish to speak of strength in front of a man of strength."

Nodding meekly, Isos followed the team of surgeons out of the room. The door shut behind Selvala quickly, leaving her alone with the dead body. As she gazed at his cold fingers, long and slightly knotted, she followed up his thin arm until it reached leather, then moved up to his neck, and, finally, his head. His eyes were shut as was his muzzle, save the tube down his throat. Even his dark hair, still parted down the center, rustled slightly.

"I was dead like you," she spoke, though she knew he'd never hear her. "Dead. For over an hour. In all my life, nothing is as scary to me as… but I'm not scared. I don't know what it is. I… don't even remember much of it. They say when you die, if you are aligned with the Almighty, you experience true joy. You live in the New Uno with your loved ones and God himself. But I don't remember that. I remember confusion. I remember revelation. But I… I don't remember what was revealed!" She blinked her eyes hard, but kept her focus on his head. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you. Maybe it's because I am scared after all." She slowly bent down to pick up his mask and examined it. "You know what it's like to die, to feel pain, and see horror in your lifetime. Do you ever ask the Almighty why? Does God ever tell you why horrible things happen to good people? And vise-versa? Why, Todd, why? I've loved my God my entire life, because he was all I ever had." She laughed as she let her metal hand touch his forehead. "Just look at me. Everything was for my people, but in them, I hoped to please Him too. But why do I feel my reward is only more pain?"

As she blinked her heavy eyes once more, she spotted a single tear channeling down his fury cheek. Quickly, she backed her hand away, gasping slightly, and watched as his chest moved.

"Todd McEdek? Kivo McEdek?"

Suddenly, his arms and legs began to shake, but it wasn't a violent shake – it was more or less like ripples on a pond. His back arched as his hands contorted. Words seemed to come from his mouth, but the tube down his throat prevented any air passing through his vocal cords.

"Please, Kivo McEdek!" Selvala shouted, unsure of what to do. "You're okay! You will be all right!"

Todd opened his eyes, staring at Elena, but his green-colored windows quickly focused to the ceiling as his body shook.

"What's wrong?" Selvala asked. She put a hand to his chest, but it did little to stop his convulsions. "Tell me!" With a hard look, she pulled the tube from Todd's mouth.

"Elena!" he screamed. "Elena! Don't leave! Please! Don't leave me!" He heaved in and out air like he was hyperventilating. "Why? Almighty, why?"

Suddenly, a gathering of Yang-Tzusians burst through the door. Despite Todd's screams, they quickly went to work and tore off all equipment attached to him. They then carried his body to a table outside of the room, a bed right next to Selvala's but slightly longer. They strapped him on the table and grabbed a collection of instruments in a fluid, well-planned process.

"Stop it!" Selvala commanded. "He is not an animal! He is a hero! Get that machine off of him!"

She lunged for the fox's body, but was stopped by Ler Commodore Vevano. He nabbed her with two arms around her stomach, despite getting his spotless uniform of red, white, and black spattered with errant fluid, and quelled her struggles as she tried to whip out of his grasp.

"Let me go!" she shouted. "I'll assign you to prison camp if I must, Vevano!"

"M'lady!" Vevano grunted. "Please! The Yang-Tzusians know what they must do. It's best not to interfere!"

"But he's in pain!" Selvala screamed over Todd's own cries. "I refuse to let that man suffer! His life has always meant something to me – but I wish to know him through his death, not like this! Not like this!" She paused. "Not like this."

As Selvala calmed down, Vevano loosened his grip. "Todd McEdek _is _a hero. Remember, I read the same storybooks you did. And if there is someone who can destroy a monstrosity like Andross, it would be him. He is very powerful and is a very loving soul, much like you are for the innocent ones. I'm sure he'd rather suffer and protect millions than leave Andross to his own devices." Vevano paused as both foxes watched Todd catch his breath and slowly calm down. "I wonder how he'll adjust to our new frontiers."

Selvala wiped a tear from her face. "I will help him. Just… take away his pain. Please? It's killing me to see him like this."

Vevano backed into a table and leaned his body against it. His grip almost turned into a very loose hug. "The Yang-Tzusians are working on it. Already his soul will have some rest knowing his body is free from that mask. But physically, his heart will pump brand-new and the tremors that drove him to death at a young age will be cured. He will be fit physically."

"But emotionally? Or mentally?"

"Time will tell. This has never been done before, mainly because a body from his time is rarely preserved." He paused. "Are you okay… m'lady?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes. Though it's not every day you die for a few hours."

"I understand."

Turning back to him, she gave him an odd look, but quickly ignored the comment.

"I'm sorry, that was probably improper. In the meantime, you should be briefed with the plan to take Venom."

Selvala slowly shook her head. "No. Scrap all plans. If I am to be with Todd for this campaign, then I will devise the attack. Just give me a small ship to take me to the cabinet of war in the delegation so I can gain their permission. Be there before I arrive."

The Ler Commodore bowed. "Yes, m'lady."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Where am I?"

Selvala stood from a far corner of the room and stepped up to the recovering body. "I could answer that, but a million more shall follow. Do you know who you are?"

Todd blinked his eyes and rubbed his forehead as if he too had a headache. "Todd McEdek, Chaljsko fighter to the king."

"And Elena?"

He paused. "My beautiful wife. Is she okay?"

As Selvala bit her lip in confusion, she looked over her red and black suit of metal and plastic. Recovered from her skirmishes with Canvhis forty years ago, it was finally being put to better use, even if it was only a back-up to her dress, which was apparently still undergoing repairs. "I don't understand. She's dead. She's been dead for over three hundred years."

"Impossible! She still lives with my in Cavask! What am I doing here anyway?"

Selvala crept up to where he was. "You've been dead, Kivo McEdek. Dead for almost three hundred years."

Todd's eyebrows lifted. He looked as if he was about to say something, when suddenly, he scoffed. "Sorry. I've been dead for so long… I've forgotten that." He gripped his head again. "I've also forgotten the limitations of this realm." He paused once more. "And forgive me for not addressing myself properly to a vixen. I was never much of a gentleman, but even my failing manners made up for my impulsive anger early in life."

"Delighted to meet your acquaintance, Kivo McEdek," she replied, absolving his trivial mistake with a simple gesture. "Do you know who I am?"

"In the New Uno I would, but again, I'm restricted by this realm. I cannot recall anything I learned or experienced in the afterlife, which is why I screamed earlier. But, though I know nothing of who or what you are, I can reason. You're a vixen in her mid-twenties who dresses like a man. Judging by your clothes, I guess you're a powerful person."

She laughed. "I am Selvala McEvo, Kral Commodore of the Unonian forces." As she finished her sentence, she laughed again when she watched Todd's face light with surprise. "I wear this suit because my armored dress was damaged in a gunfight." She paused. "Uno is millions of miles away and Unonians now populate the entire planet of Terrestko. The Careinians occupy neighboring Pryok, but we have subdued them."

"Why am I here?"

Selvala moved toward him and sat down next to the vulpine hero on his bed. "Someone threatens Terrestko. But it's more than that – they threaten the entire galaxy."

"And I have to eradicate this threat?"

She nodded. "You are the best Chaljsko fighter known. Your body was well-preserved too, allowing the Yang-Tzusians, the white-skinned creatures, to revive you. Your purpose is to destroy Emperor Andross."

"And then what?"

"You make it sound like you've already defeated him!"

"Vixen, I've battled Bronson McRasko. Nobody, and I mean nobody is as vile and infectiously evil as he was." He spotted his mask on the floor. "May you please hand that to me?"

Selvala stood and grabbed the marble artifact from the floor. She handed it to Todd. "You're sure it's dead?"

Todd nodded. "Dead as dead can be."

"Your hands are still shaking," Selvala pointed out.

"Don't worry about it." He swallowed hard.

"They said that's what killed you at an early age."

"They?"

Selvala nodded. "You're a very famous Unonian hero, Kivo McEdek. Many storybooks were written about you – the orphanage I lived at had many and I would read them every night before I fell asleep. They sort of gave me confidence, because I would draw parallels with your life and mine. In a way, you're partially responsible for how successful I've been."

"I see."

Selvala sighed slightly as her gaze returned to the mask. "What was it like? The mask, I mean."

Todd handed it back to her. "Inescapable darkness. Like a thousand hands clawing your naked body. Like your soul was being dragged through a river of broken glass. Which is why this Andross doesn't scare me." He paused. "I'll do my best because he threatens my people. But when he is defeated, promise me this." He grabbed her hands as Selvala slowly blinked her eyes at him "Kill me when this is all over. Please. I want to return to my wife and the Almighty as soon as I can. And I don't care how you do it. Just do it."

Selvala nodded. "Okay," she replied.

"Everyone fears death because it is something no one knows. Beliefs and the distractions of daily life can suppress that fear, but it always resurfaces." He raised his hand to her chin, lifting it up. "Just remember to never fear."

She pulled away. "Look, Todd," she spoke curtly, "you've been dead for three centuries and I really, really do respect all you are and all you did. I read you in storybooks as a kit and dreamed I'd be like you each night. But there's nothing in me that shines an _ounce _of fear. I've conquered planets, saved my people, protected millions, and preserved the fate of this galaxy as we know it! This is my time, not yours, so don't think you'll run around taking the reigns of my work or belittling my efforts!"

Todd raised his eyebrows as he slid back onto the bed. "I didn't think I was. One day you'll understand."

"Understand _what_?"

"Understand what it truly means to be Unonian."

She cocked her head. "I _am_ the commander of the entire Unonian naval and ground force, not to mention for The Union of Free States as well."

"And you've only begun to believe."

"Believe what?"

"Your own mortality."

Her jaw dropped, but she quickly corrected herself. "I need not fear death. I'm half machine so my body does not deteriorate." Before Todd could reply, she stepped away from the vulpine male and walked toward the doorway. "We have business to attend to. The fate of the entire galaxy may lie within your long fingers, Kivo McEdek."

As she pressed a series of buttons to open the portal, Todd stood and quickly walked to her side, holding his staff with both hands. Selvala walked out of the room down a long metallic hallway, yet was surprised at how Todd seemed to try to walk in front of her. She cautiously bit her lip as she tried to press forward, but he moved faster.

"M'lady, please!"

She placed a hand on his staff. "Let me walk in front. I know where to go." He lowered his staff as her gaze moved to his eyes. "If you must, think of me as a guide to this world. Heh, with all this new technology surrounding you, I'd imagine you'd feel totally obsolete anyway. No worries for that – you will be of great service once again."

"I… don't feel obsolete. I feel like I'm floating in a sea of obsoleteness, with all due respect."

Selvala's face crawled with rage as she stormed forward. However, when she felt the hand of the guardian on her shoulder, she turned around and immediately restrained her emotions.

"One day you will know what it means to be Unonian as I do."

She drew her blaster cannon, which rested firmly on her right arm, and pointed it directly at Todd. But before she could retort his repetitive phrase, Todd grabbed it with lightning-quick reflexes and melted the barrel with unseen heat. Then, with a forceful jab, he gripped the hand of Selvala as she shrieked in pain.

"But perhaps I'm supposed to teach you." He paused as she winced and fell to her knees, submitting to his horrible grip. "I will teach you. And you will be great. Even greater than the Todd McEdek you've read about in storybooks." He let her go and she pulled her arm close to her, still wincing in pain.

"Bastard," Selvala muttered as Todd shook his head.

"You are a great leader. Obviously you've slain millions of opponents to become the person you are today. But I took you down in one simple move." He held out his staff to her and jerked it forward, prompting her to grab it. When she did, he pulled her to her feet and pushed up his shades.

"I know nothing of your world, yet you know nothing of mine."

Checking her hand, she looked up at Todd, then turned to walk forward, again choosing to ignore his words. "We will meet with the delegation of The Union of Free States. There we will administer a proper procedure for doing away with this fiend. I expect the greatest naval force ever assembled to meet us at the next stage – Illevethruu's largest spaceport. They will make short work of the Venomanian navy, and we shall go straight through to Andross." She paused. "Maybe then you'll respect who I am and what I do."

"I never said I didn't."

As they neared the end of the hallway, the doorway immediately opened. In front of them was nothing but pure sky and buildings and, aside from a small section of platforms, no visible ground. Selvala turned to her left as a large humming ship passed within a few feet of the structure and walked to a small ship parked just off the platform.

She turned around and nearly smirked when she noticed Todd's head moving about, watching the action she had become bored with over the years. "Almighty… and no one crashes into each other?"

She laughed. "Magnetism. If one ship were to come too close to another, it would immediately repel. This is due to a built-in electronegative field which not only keeps the ship from careening into other crafts but also from smashing into the ground if we were to run out of fuel."

"And the buildings?"

"No responsive magnetic fields can be put on buildings. If it was so, no one could park a ship close to one of them." She stepped over the small gap separating the craft from the platform without hesitation. "Hop in."

Todd glanced at the haze below him. "And does anyone ever smash into buildings or fall from their ships?"

"All the time. It's an unavoidable hazard. Hop in."

With a harsh sigh, Todd moved his staff forward, then used it to propel him forward a few feet to the passenger side of the craft. When he landed, he nearly flew backward, but Selvala caught him by the collar before he could rock out of the open-top spacecraft.

"Thank you, vixen," Todd said as he huddled into the seat. "It reminds me of a car back home."

"We still call small craft like these cars. And this one is a nice model – even if it isn't mine."

"Have you ever driven one of these?" Todd asked with a hint of panic.

"No, I'm not even sure how the seat belts work on this one. But, eh, I'm the best pilot in the galaxy. We don't need seat belts." She gripped the steering column. "Just hold on."

Immediately the car jostled forward, moving so fast the building they came from disappeared in the blink of an eye. As Selvala combed through the countless lanes of traffic, Todd gripped the dashboard with tense knuckles. Keeping his teeth clenched, the vulpine male shut his eyes as the Kral Commodore performed a great barrel roll, moving directly into a makeshift intersection and cutting through various lanes of traffic, nearly striking a slow-moving cargo ship docking at a lofty red and gray building.

"Almighty, woman!" Todd shouted as he caught his staff as she performed another barrel roll, but then quickly returned to grabbing the dashboard to prevent himself from falling out. "Are you insane?"

She laughed. "And they said you could handle a hover bike without a single problem!"

"Well, that's different! I was never thousands of feet in the air with a vehicle anyway!"

The wind flew through the blue hair of Selvala as she cut a hard right turn, nearly skimming a large-screen television plastered on a soaring building covered in neon lights in a maze of various languages. "Admit it," she said as she turned to Todd.

"Admit what?"

"I'm better at this than you are!"

"What?" He shifted left as she made another hard turn, then began to drop altitude and plummet to the ground below.

"Say it!"

"I didn't know I would be competing with anyone! Pull up!"

"Never!" she shouted as a great grin grew on her face.

Suddenly, as they disappeared to the shadows below, Todd calmed down. His shades reflected the glow of neon lights as he rolled his tongue in his mouth. "But if you kill me… I return to my wife and you have no one to fight for you. Why do I need to fear?" He turned to Selvala and noticed her smile disappear. "I suppose I could jump out right now if I wanted to."

Selvala quickly pulled up as Todd let go of the dashboard. "Dammit," she muttered. She then turned to her passenger and gave him a snide look. "If you jump, you're nothing more than a coward."

"Coward?" he replied as he picked up his shades further to the bridge of his muzzle. "And bringing back a dead man to life in order to save your skin isn't cowardly?" He paused. "Plus, you're a good enough pilot, right? If I do fall, you would certainly be able to swoop down, judge the distances, and catch me right in this seat, correct?"

Gritting her teeth Selvala turned her head to face forward. "It's not that I can't – I just will not put this mission in jeopardy anymore."

Smirking, Todd put his feet on the dashboard, gazing at all the foreign sights and letters scattered across the buildings and sky, as if they were floating on some imaginary plane. They wrapped down the invisible lanes of traffic. Suddenly, something caught his eye. "A river of blood?"

Selvala followed his eyes and looked below. "Oh. No, the water is red on account of the nearby power plant. It's still safe to drink, but it has the faint taste of motor oil in it. It's not that bad."

"I see. Where is this building you're taking me to?"

"Up ahead," Selvala replied monotonously. "The one that has a large dome over it. That's where the delegation sits, on the top floor."

"And the Da'velu, the council for the Order of the Chaljsko, where do they meet?"

"Um… I'm not sure. Uno, I guess."

Todd shifted in his seat. "What do you mean? Doesn't anyone fight with the Chaljsko anymore?"

She paused. "Aside from some Unonians who reside on Terrestko, I don't think so."

As Todd furrowed his brow, the Kral Commodore slowed the vehicle in order to land near the domed portion of the soaring structure. When she moved the car to a complete stop, the docking bay was soon occupied by throngs of people from all across the galaxy. They all wore different clothes – from robes to tight jumpsuits – and all ran up to her at different paces, with some forming rows down the walkway to the building.

"Who is the man with you, m'lady?"

"Why is he so old-fashioned?"

"Do you need anything, m'lady?"

Selvala stepped out from the vehicle and turned to what looked like a human being with large eyes with a grayer complexion. "Give me my dress – it should be finished by now. Furthermore, the gun on this suit is ruined."

"What are your orders, m'lady?" whispered a vulpine male dressed in an elegant uniform of black, red, and white.

She turned to Ler Commodore McElso. "Begin moving some of the ships to the orbital zone. The destroyers first, then supply ships. Make sure the delegation doesn't know we're going over their heads. Save the rest of the fleet until our meeting is adjourned with the delegation."

"Yes, m'lady."

From the corner of her eye she spotted Todd, who peered from behind the comfort of his own shades, staring at the creatures around him. When she turned to the rows between them, she almost felt sorry for him. They all seemed to be whispering about him, possibly about how he dressed, or why he appeared so vintage, or even the staff he toted.

"And who might you be?"

Todd turned to the towering, lanky creature. It had skin of light brown and dark eyes. Its long arms looked very powerful, albeit slightly skinny, and it walked with bowed legs. A massive, bald head completed its looks. Todd sighed. "Your killer if you don't leave me alone."

The creature laughed and his large jaw flapped up and down. "I could snap your little body in half!"

The Chaljsko fighter swung his staff at the tall being, but was immediately stopped by Selvala, who managed to catch his swing.

"Don't let him get to you, Todd," she whispered. "The Ffelgrahs are very prideful creatures. Like Careinians but with triple the ego."

Todd scowled at the laughing being in front of him, but decided to press forward. "Everyone's talking about me."

"You have nothing to fear. If you can beat me in one simple move, you need not fear anyone here."

"I don't fear anyone – mere trinkets from someone's imagination. I warn you not to stop me again."

The Ffelgrah from before began to follow the two as they walked into the building. His long strides immediately pitted himself right behind them. "I'd like to see you try to maim me with your stick!"

"Don't provoke him, Rooku." She turned to see what Todd was doing, but he looked to be ignoring the man.

Suddenly, Rooku tugged at the bottom of Todd's black trench coat, causing him to fall backward. "I'm not talking to myself, little twig. Let's see how big you really are." He began to mock him. "I'm so skilled I only need a staff! I don't need those new fangled laser blaster thingies!"

Todd stood up slowly as a crowd began to gather around him. He took a simple swing at the wood-toned creature, but he caught it with ease.

"Oh wow – what a great shot. Now it's my turn, you prick!"

Before he could finish his last syllable, Todd grabbed the being's long red tongue and tore it off. Amidst his screams and the panic of the people around them, he tore his staff from the Ffelgrah's grip, sliced off his hands, then his feet, and finally stabbed him in the nose, chipping it off in an instant. His screams turned to bubbling ooze of torment as he fell to the ground in a heap.

"Todd!" Selvala shouted. "Stop this at once!"

"Now your family shall fear you forever. And your people, too. But no response will come from you. All you will do is watch, watch as they stare at you as you did to me, make fun of you as you did to me, mistreat you as you did to me, scream and run away from you as these people did to me. Enjoy a long life."

Robotic guards from all around tackled Todd to the floor. Swarms flew in and prevented any means of escape. Before he could react, they placed him in chains which created an energy-draining force field across his body. His movements slowed and his squirming came to a halt as more guards grappled him and picked him up by the shoulders, dragging him from behind as his boots scrapped against the tiled floor. The crowd of countless species watched in terror as the man was dragged to the floor of the delegation.

Selvala turned away as she shook her head. "Oh Todd, how could you?" Turning to him, she watched as he disappeared into the darkness. But he seemed to be staring at her the entire time, as if his glare held a look of betrayal.

Bending down, Selvala picked up his staff. "I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Who is this man and how dare he maim the delegate of our planet!"

Selvala gripped Todd's staff as she once more checked over her dress to make sure it was presentable. Turning to Todd, she noticed his body was still limp, as it was held up by two guards dressed in black. His head was sunk below his shoulders. "He meant no harm. With all due respect, Rooku was the one who provoked him. Anyone like him would've reacted."

"What do you mean 'like him'?"

Looking up into the crowd, she made eye contact with Meku Roveskl, the speaker of the delegation under times of normalcy and the Grand Master of The Union of Free States. He squinted his tiny, old eyes at the youthful looking vixen below. "He holds a power you cannot understand, Grand Master. This is Todd McEdek, the bio-weapon."

Gasps and laughter echoed throughout the congregation and carried to the domed ceiling. "You must be joking!" Roveskl shouted.

"No. I am not."

A sudden hush fell over the crowd. "Our entire alliance has entrusted you with its protection," he spoke sternly. "Uno has become a key member in this union, as you have managed to find the position of power among us. If you dare sabotage this–"

"I would never sabotage. I never hide my intentions."

"Then what do you have to say for your so-called secret weapon? Look at him! He's as limp as a dead man!"

"You don't know the half of it," muttered Selvala.

"Well, what does he do? Is he a sharpshooter? An assassin? Does he bend the space-time continuum?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"He fights with something our world hasn't understood for a long time."

"Which is?"

She held up his staff. "He fights with the Chaljsko." She gritted her teeth when she watched the entire floor groan and shake their heads. Roveskl put his head in his webbed hands and sighed dejectedly. "He is good! He's very strong with his moves and has the wit of one thousand men! He can kill with a single touch and protect with a single tap!"

"And save the galaxy before bedtime, right, Selvala? Please. Don't bother us with your people's primitive fighting techniques." He rolled his eyes. "You are inches from a discharge, Unonian. I must say it is a shame, but still an example of how one terrible error in judgment can mar an otherwise spotless record."

Rage infected her face once more. "You do not give me orders! You've always been after my power anyway! If this man cannot kill whatever you bring forth to him, I will not only resign, but will throw myself off this tower!"

"Then you truly are crazy."

"I'm serious!" she groaned under gritted teeth. "I didn't secure this half of the galaxy just to lose it because of your lack of belief!"

Roveskl shifted in his seat. "Then so be it. He will face a beast of my choice. Unchain the prisoner."

"What gives you this power?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Care to ask for a vote on the measure?"

She paused. "Hold on! If he does succeed, I mean, when he does, he is to be freed from any charges brought on him by this delegation. And…" she scanned her tongue over her teeth. "You will be abdicated from your position."

He laughed. "Very well. Unchain the prisoner!"

The two large sentinels undid the shackles to Todd's wrists, ankles, and neck. He tumbled to the ground like a rag doll as the heat of laughter struck his back and the vixen who knelt down to him.

"What's going on?" he groaned.

Selvala placed a hand on his back. "Can you fight?"

"Yes."

"Good. In order for your crime to be absolved, you have to kill something."

"Something?"

"It's not our choice." Gripping him by the armpits, she tried to pull him up to his feet, but even his thin body was too heavy for her grip. So she resorted to keeping him upright against her amidst the taunts and laughter from the delegation. "Ungrateful bastards. I fought for every single person you see before us, and now they laugh."

Todd blinked hard. "Why don't you believe?"

"What?"

"Success is the best dress for revenge. Don't fear."

"I am not afraid!"

Suddenly, Isos appeared at their side. "M'lady, the appropriate ships have moved to the orbital zone." He paused. "What's happening? What's wrong with the bio-weapon?"

"My name is Todd," Todd snapped.

"He's facing trial for severely maiming a delegate that deserved it," Selvala informed.

The two robotic guards from before camped down on Todd's wrists and wrestled him from the grip of Selvala despite her struggles. Still too weak to respond, the Chaljsko fighter submitted to their might quickly, as he was dragged across the main floor and down the steps, where his boots clumped like clockwork.

Selvala looked down and suddenly noticed something. "His staff! Wait! He needs his staff!"

When the guards stopped to check with the grand master if it was approved, Todd looked back at Selvala. He held out a hand already wrenched by a heavy clamp and stared at his staff. It instantly tore itself from Selvala's grip and sailed to his grasp. The robots, which were having trouble with the communication within the room, noticed his weapon in his hand, so they pressed on, moving out of the room from a large arched opening.

As Selvala turned around, she noticed a great screen drop from the ceiling, which immediately switched to a dungeonesque landscape with hanging irons from the top of the chamber and metal bars strewn across one thick wall to the next. Grates and drains lined the floor, which seemed to be dirty metal at best. It appeared very dank and dark, but the light from the ceiling was enough where one could get a good view of the entire chamber.

The Kral Commodore swung around to the delegation. "I will not approve of this display! He's not an act, not a caged animal! He truly is all I've said and more – not a story or a display!"

Roveskl moved in his seat once more and scratched his large triangular ears. "If he is, then he will win and we will absolve him." The delegation added their approval.

"It's barbaric!" Isos shouted. "A… monstrosity for such an intellectual society to administer such trials!"

"Perhaps, but I was not the one who suggested it."

A roar of cheers and applause entered the scene. Selvala turned around and noticed Todd had been thrown into the chamber. He was almost collapsed on the floor and looked to be catching his breath.

"Bring forth number eighty!"

A large gray door opened from within the chamber. From the audio receptors on the camera, Selvala could hear a great growl coming from the portal slowly lifting to the ceiling. At an instant she was tied in fear. A great creature with six arms, a human head, white skin, and glowing red eyes burst through the entrance and shrieked at Todd, jutting its head forward and showing all its teeth. Its fangs protruded almost to its eye sockets, and it clattered like a bug as it scampered toward him. The picturesque being from hell entered the scene.

Screams of terror from the delegation fell into Selvala's ears, but she could not keep her eyes from the ever-changing camera, which always tried to get the best view. Suddenly, Todd stood from where he sat. He pointed his staff directly at the creature and watched as it used its ten spiny fingers on one hand to swipe at him. People cheered, but the beast missed completely. It then moved in and backed Todd into a corner, where it tore a metal beam from the ceiling, snapping off the supportive bolts like toothpicks, and attempted to smash the small fox. The vibrations from each crashing beam jostled the camera considerably, but Todd managed to duck and dodge every single hit. This angered the beast considerably, and it flashed its red eyes at Todd, which would have turned him to a torch had he not rolled out of the way. Moving once more, he found himself backed in the corner. As the creature tried to grab him, he swiped at it with his staff and cut off a finger. But, to everyone's surprise, another smaller arm instantly grew from the defect and grappled the fighter in a tight hold, so tight Todd looked to be on the brink of suffocation.

"Oh no," Selvala muttered as the shouts and cheers from the delegation intensified.

It tried to bite Todd out of its hand, but each time the creature missed just barely. It then let out a demonic shriek, which somehow seemed to take much of the strength from the Chaljsko fighter. He collapsed in its hand as the creature brought him to his mouth covered in sharp, twisting fangs. A single clomp and he was gone.

Selvala gasped. "No! It… it can't be!"

"It seems as if you were wrong about your lost hero, Kral Commodore McEvo."

She blinked hard as the screeches and shrieks of the white-skinned, grotesque beast echoed in her mind. "It can't be like this."

"Well, he has lost. Now, what were you saying about…"

Suddenly, Selvala turned to the screen. Something was happening with the creature's right eye. It began to bulge and finally protrude out of the socket much to its dismay and quick movements to try to fixate it back in to place. But the same thing happened to the other eye rather quickly. From behind the eye emerged Todd, toting his staff, and careful not to get knocked off by the beast's desperate attempts to fix its sight. As it accidentally smashed its right eye between its fingers, letting out an ear-splitting bellow, Todd climbed to the bridge of its nose and forced the axe-like blade of his staff into the skull. Another bellow came from the creature. He then turned his staff ninety degrees and unsheathed it. The beast finally shook him off, and Todd landed on his feet.

But that was all he needed to do. The crack grew with each thrash of the devil's head and began to tear it apart. Brain matter, orange and gelatinous, flew in all directions. Finally, as the crack made its way around the base of the back of the head, it hit the ground with a deafening thud, its body still twitching from the strain. Vivid red blood oozed everywhere.

"He did it!" Selvala shouted. "Now what do you have to say about him?"

Roveskl grimaced. "Number forty three!"

"What?" she barked.

Another door opened from behind where Todd stood. This time, two beasts appeared – a spider-like creature with glowing green eyes, white skin, and no mouth, and a giant, massive biped with dangling arms, red fluff all over its body, and a small head which housed two jet black eyes and a great horn-like appendage protruding from where its mouth should be. They slowly closed in on him.

"We never agreed to this!" Selvala blasted. "And that gok is capable of sucking his very soul! No one's ever figured out how to safely kill one before! All these creatures aren't even from our galaxy!"

"Consider this a test of just how good he truly is," the grand master chuckled.

Selvala turned around to face Todd. "Why do you have these things anyway?"

"To apprehend prisoners, of course," Roveskl replied.

Todd dodged the gok and went for the spider-like creature. He swung his staff directly at the head of the creature, but it bucked like a horse and revealed hundreds of jagged mouths on its thorax and abdomen. Ducking from the gok and avoiding its suction power, he leapt high in the air and caught a leg from the spider-like creature. It immediately brought the leg closer to its underside, but Todd anticipated this, and gripped the top of the thorax after a well-planned jump. Heavy grinding noises emitted from the spidery beast as it tried to remove the fighter from its top. But Todd quickly began to carve holes into the beast, as if he was searching for a right spot. While keeping an eye on the gok, he finally found what he wanted – a thick cable-like cord running down its top. He quickly severed it and the abdomen of the being went limp. Then, as the gok attempted to suck him into oblivion once more, he fell to the bottom of the great arachnid. It made a series of crunching noises, as it seemed to be chewing on something.

"Now he is done!" shouted Roveskl.

"He survived the ro-oh, he can't lose to a xixdra!"

Suddenly the xixdra went limp. As the camera turned its position to get a better view of the beast, it revealed the xixdra was feasting on its abdomen, which must have killed it. Immediately Todd crawled from it.

"See! I told you he was good!"

Now his focus was completely on the gok. Though it was terribly powerful, it was comparatively slow compared to its adversary, and Todd somersaulted to position himself directly below it. He slashed at its round body with the axe-like blade of his staff, but it instead only revealed more flesh, as if it were layered on the beast.

"Soon he will create a hole in it and invariably be sucked into its oblivion!"

Selvala watched in fear as the massive creature positioned its body between its legs to vanquish the opponent, but Todd was way too fast for its liking. Immediately he grabbed the horn-like appendage protruding from its face and clung to it as the beast lifted its head and tried to shake him off. Instead, Todd scampered to the top of its head, to which the gok tried to suck him. It moved its horn around and clamped on its forehead as Todd slipped off and out of sight from the beast. One sickening gulp was all it took for the beast to be caught in its own horrible thirst for lives, and it suffocated roughly ten seconds later.

"Ha!" Selvala shouted. She turned around to face the grand master. "Now you _must_ submit to my demands!"

A large portion of the delegation applauded respectfully, but Roveskl shook his head. "Number one."

All doors opened in the chamber, displaying a total of three goks, three xixdras, and three ro-ohs along with two robots appearing strikingly familiar to the guards who apprehended Todd earlier, only much larger. They slowly crept toward him, and Todd looked them all in the eye, turning his head about to watch for any sudden movements.

Then, the camera went out.

"No!" shouted Selvala. She kept her eyes glued to the screen, moving her head around slightly as her ears bent back, but nothing happened. Not even any audio reception came through.

"What's happening?" Roveskl shouted, full of perturbation.

Everyone paused, but, after only a moment, began to whisper and lose interest.

Isos placed a hand on Selvala's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "At least he died a true hero."

Selvala nodded as a beam of light streaked across the sky above them. "Yes. Now he's at peace again, so long as the goks didn't get him."

Suddenly, the screen began to blip. It fuzzed and clicked, but finally it turned on to view the room, but in only black and white. There, in the center of the chamber, stood Todd, holding his staff at rest and staring directly at the camera. Every single beast was vanquished, the only things left of them were mere traces of blood, parts, and metal. Even the room looked different, like the metal had changed colors or had been severely weakened.

The entire delegation gasped. "If he can do that, what have we to worry?" shouted someone from the back row.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Selvala replied. A great grin stretched across her face.

The camera zoomed in on Todd's face. He slowly pulled his shades higher on the bridge of his muzzle and held out his hand.

"What is he doing?" Isos asked.

A series of sounds, like snapping metal, emitted from the delegation. Selvala spotted the source quickly, as the Grand Master's chair began to unhinge from the platform he sat. He wailed in terror as the last bolt snapped and sent him hurtling toward the screen. He struck the great object in a swift, fluid jolt and electrocuted his body so intensely his skin burnt off. Echoes of his final scream still filled the room, but were quickly overthrown by the shrieks of terror from the entire floor.

People fled the scene, and some even bumped into Selvala, but all she did was smile at the charred body in the middle of the screen.

"M'lady!" Isos shouted. "Why do you not run?"

"Just like in the storybooks," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"How?"

Todd turned to Selvala after watching large ships hum noisily to begin their ascent into space. His black trench coat swirled slightly from the sudden movement. "What?"

She touched the axe-like blade of his staff. "You killed all of them. I mean, I thought you would, but… it's impossible to kill such beasts in such a short period of time!"

Todd paused. "I'm an impossible man. Elena used to say that to me all the time."

Selvala bit her lip as her eyes turned away. "I see." Suddenly, she felt a hand on the bottom of her muzzle. She wanted to strike the Chaljsko fighter once he lifted her head to view him, but she remembered that in his time it was supposed to be a very gentle gesture.

"Vixen, what more proof do you need?"

"I don't understand."

He turned his head to view the ships taking off once more. As each ship took off, it would flare its massive exhausts, blast its great engines, and slowly ascend high into the red-tinted sky. "Ever since the beginning of time, there was an Almighty – an all-powerful, omnipotent being who creates and regulates all that you see, hear, touch, taste and feel, even that which you'll never know. He created us, the Unonians. He created the humans and the other species. He even created our enemies. He created the water and the stars and every single blade of grass that blows gently in a Unonian summer day. But we did not follow him. We tried to construct our own worlds and failed. We tried to construct our own connections and failed. Out of sheer mercy he sent us a Son, the Almighty in the flesh, who died so we may follow him. Nations were selected to spread this news around Terrestko."

"What you've told me I already knew."

"Uno was one of these nations. Through the saints Aiya and Thomasso, we converted fully. Our enemies at first did not, but eventually did. But we were still selected. The Almighty gave us a gift to protect our people and all that was good. This gift is called 'The Chaljsko', which in old Unonian means one who bleeds for blood. We were given this power, many, many centuries ago, to protect and preserve."

"This doesn't tell me anything." She sighed. "It doesn't apply to any situation I've encountered thus far anyway."

"Do you believe?"

"Believe in what?"

"Believe what you cannot see, that whatever controls this universe we are placed in is higher than you and wants what is best for your soul?"

Selvala put a hand to her face. "Yes, but that still doesn't answer my question."

"I've answered it many times already."

Todd grabbed Selvala's hand and lowered it from her face. Then, with a quick pivot, he placed his legs far apart, yet still maintaining balance. As quickly as he moved them apart, he smashed them together, holding his staff directly in front of him.

"Touch my staff."

Selvala reached out and was surprised to see the Chaljsko fighter levitate off the ground. It was a gentle motion, slow at first, then quickly rising a few feet into the air. But, as she looked to the ground, she noticed that she too was floating. Her boots glistened in the sunlight as they peered from her dress, but they were outstretched, effortlessly hovering above the metallic ground. It was terrifying.

"Put me down!" Selvala begged with stabbing syllables.

Both immediately returned to solid ground. "You too can do this if only you'd believe."

"Believe what?"

"Believe in yourself through the Almighty. Let yourself channel his power."

Selvala paused. Then, as she shut her eyes, she furrowed her brow and concentrated on all the events in her over eighty years of existence – from birth, to the battles, to now. All the pain and suffering surfaced into one common thread and pulsated across her body. All the fear and terror vanished, cast away like a second skin. All the thoughts she once held true tore through the inner lining of her heart and burst through like an oncoming train.

When she opened her eyes, she was still on level ground.

"I can't do it," she confessed.

"I know you can. But your soul has yet to bleed."

"What does that mean?"

Todd smiled. "You haven't felt the pain. You haven't experienced any of what I know. But I will teach it to you – all of it – and you will know. You will know so well and do so well you will be able to kill all of your opponents. My help will no longer be needed." He paused. "You crave power, so use it. But I warn you: this skill is very powerful, so powerful that if you were to use it in a wrong way it would kill your soul."

"But…" She turned to the ground. "I'm woman. No woman has ever mastered this skill."

"Why limit yourself? You never have before. You're trying to find an excuse, but if you really want to understand, you must never doubt yourself."

Selvala huffed out a large breath of air. "Very well."

Todd turned to the ships taking off, as if he were able to determine when their ship would take off next. "Your first lesson begins now." He handed her his staff. "Cut yourself with this. You have to feel pain before you can feel victory."

Selvala meekly held the staff in front of her as another ship took off. It had to be six feet tall, coupled with two impressive blades at the ends of the metallic shaft. Holding the tool by the safe side of the axe-like blade, she forced the blade on the skin of her arm, but all it did was make a sharp indent. Suddenly, Todd gripped the weapon and slid it down her forearm, slicing off a good section of skin with it despite the vixen's cries. Blood immediately poured out.

"Oh!" she shouted as she gripped her arm with the metallic one. "It feels like… like I'm on fire!"

"Heal it," Todd commanded.

"What? I can't do that!"

"Heal it! Look past the problem to find the solution!"

As more blood continued to gush out, Selvala began to feel dizzy. "I can't!"

"Then you will die."

"You're insane!"

"I'm not the one who cut herself with her weapon."

She dropped to her knees with a clang as the metal on her dress weighed her body down. With a shaking hand she gripped the wound and stared at it with clenched teeth that seemed to scream out in pain.

"The Almighty can channel his power to you. Why not allow him to do so? Why do you not believe? Why do you not see?"

Selvala shut her eyes and positioned her head toward the sky. Finally, she let out a great breath of air as she continued to feel around the wound. It was getting increasingly difficult to hold her head upright. But, as she continued to search deeper, she suddenly began to rock back and forth. Suddenly, something snapped in her very soul, and she clung to it as tightly as she ever had before.

"Your most vulnerable moment awaits," Todd whispered as she began to whimper and whine. "Choose the path with the most light."

Pausing, Selvala moved her body more violently as the waves of energy thrashed her and clawed at her. More cuts appeared where there had not been any cuts, and her neck started to twitch.

"Tell me what you see," asked the Chaljsko fighter.

Selvala sputtered. "One million doors."

"And what do you choose?"

"The farthest, because it… glows the brightest."

"Go to it then. Don't settle for anything less!"

Blood began to pour out of her mouth, first at a trickle, then, as she coughed, more profuse and thick. It ran down to her red, white, and black dress, which already contained the red fluid. Her body continued to rock violently, so violently it was as if she had taken every single neurological disorder upon her in one swift motion. Her knees rocked and banged together. Suddenly, however, the convulsions began to slow.

"Keep going!" Todd blasted as he slapped her across the face. "You didn't come this far to succumb to the anger!"

Her body returned to pulsating, only more intense than before. From her eyes came tears of blood, and it ran down her cheeks like an overflowing vat. Finally, with a jerky motion, she moved her hands together and held them close. A small, bubbly growl churned inside of her and quickly grew to a defiant, agonizing scream. Her lungs blasted out such a terrible cry she was certain it did not come from her. Suddenly, she stopped shaking and ceased rocking. With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes.

"Look down at your arm," Todd whispered.

Selvala gazed at a healthy arm without any blood or blemish. Moving her metallic hand across the forearm, she scratched it to make sure it was real, then looked back at Todd.

"Teach me more," she replied.

"Give your soul time to heal – it will need it. Do you remember any of what transpired?"

"Yes!" Selvala cried. "The tanks, my parents, faces of the past, shadows, spirits with claws, doors, light, dark, and, finally, light that seemed to be liquid. All of it I remember."

"Do you feel okay?"

She paused. "Yes, but my eyes hurt. And I have a great headache."

"That's normal."

Blinking hard, Selvala slowly stood. "Please, I want to know more."

Todd shook his head. "I'm sorry. But there will be more to come."

As she stood, she suddenly caught her breath, like she was breathing for the first time. She staggered only slightly, but Todd still put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Selvala quickly put a hand to her head. "What exactly happened to me?"

Todd smiled. "You've already begun the process. You see, all intelligent beings are like clogged pipes. Sin and doubt clogs us, but if we were to become unclogged and still found wanting, we will allow great power to flow through us into fluid action and motion." He paused. "What you felt was the first gush of power. Soon, however, it will flow from you constantly and smoothly. Over time it will serve you well, much more so than it did for you today."

"I don't feel right," she confessed.

"Again, a normal feeling. Always seek the light, never the darkness. If you don't, that feeling will only worsen."

Suddenly, Ler Commodore Vevano McElso arrived on the scene. "M'lady! _The Elitist _is prepared for take-off! You may board it anytime."

"Ah, thank you Vevano."

He cleared his throat as he went over his uniform to make sure it was in superior standing. "Will you require anything else, m'lady?"

"Hmm?" Selvala's attention drifted from the ascending crafts back to Vevano. "What was that?"

"Will you require anything else, m'lady?"

"Oh. No, no thanks. Just be sure to send out a docker to this location so we may board the ship in one fluid motion."

"Of course! That reminds me – some of the newly acquired battleships cannot travel at hypersonic speed, so we will have to maintain a constant cruising speed to Venom." He paused. "This… may take days, perhaps even weeks before our destination is reached."

Disturbed, the Kral Commodore bit her lip as her eyes flashed to the sky, then back to the decorated young man. "I assume we cannot avoid this." She paused. "Very well. Set a course destination to Venom once the entire fleet is assembled and prepare to assume temporary command of the union navy. Prepare my personal fighter craft and one similar – Todd McEdek and I will rendezvous with Terrestko in the meantime."

"Yes, m'lady," he replied with a gesture of respect. He then turned to Todd. "Good day, sir." He walked to the open elevator he took before and, in a few moments, he was gone.

"What exactly does a Ler Commodore do?" Todd asked.

"He both administers and assumes command of the entire Unonian defense zone. In other words, he defends Terrestko."

"_Him_?"

"He… may be a little young, and he is a rather poor fighter in comparison to those vying for his position, but he is a gifted tactician. Graduated first in his class, I'm told."

"And his qualifications? I mean, surely Uno isn't that dry when it comes to gifted talent!"

Selvala smiled. "Let me put it this way. Five years ago I gained three planets in an easily-fought battle that only took a few hours. When it came down to assigning a commodore for the small system, no one wanted it because it was far from action and the insurgents in the area appeared to be hostile. So I searched among the recent graduates and found him. Vevano not only jumped at the opportunity, but immediately set to work on the three planets. One year later, an incoming fleet from galaxy E-34 attempted to take his outposts. He was outnumbered at least twenty to one and had no idea how those barbarians fought." She paused to shake her head. "It was a slaughter. And the report I received from the battle was sheer genius. So I took him under my wing until I felt he was ready to assume the most important job in my eyes – protecting Uno. He hasn't let me down yet."

"In short, he reminds you of yourself."

She arched her eyebrow as the docking craft arrived on the scene. "Why, yes. Of course."


End file.
